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On June 26, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released proposed rules

to improve the emergency alerts that are provided to the public under the Emergency Alert System (EAS). These proposals address problems that were encountered during the first nationwide

test of the EAS (which took place on November 7, 2011). One of the suggested revisions is

a proposal for standards to ensure that EAS alerts are accessible to all members of the public, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing or blind or visually impaired. This proposal specifically seeks comment on quality standards for visual crawls and audio access to EAS messages. For the accessibility section, please go to paragraphs 31-40 on pages 16-21 in one of the links to the document below.

For more information, contact Lisa Fowlkes, Deputy Bureau Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-7452, or by email at Lisa.Fowlkes@fcc.gov, or the ASL Consumer Support Line via videophone at 844-4-FCC-ASL (844-432-2275) or 202-810-0444.